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- Alts work like a testnet for bitcoins (looking forward seeing Litecoin with SegWit)
- Once an alt feature looks working it might get adopted no matter onchain or in a side chain. (RSK)
- Alts mostly need bitcoin to trade and some bitcoins might be always reserved / locked for this.
- Alts might help to generate a closed bitcoin economy
My favorit comes here:
- Alts work like an infinite fear generator (Hydra) against any try of regulators to bring bitcoin down, since there are too many to kill and its very easy to just create a new one (like a Hydra cannot be killed by chopping off some heads, even the biggest one!) > crypto world is anti fragile and it will stay on this solar system from year 2009 on.
Any other things missing here?
Because we want more bitcoins... and altcoins are the only way to trade and get more bitcoins without having to give your bank accounts and all sort of credentials into all those shady ass exchanges in order for you to trade.
Alts will always exist because people love gambling.
Bitcoin doesn't need Altcoin but the reverse is not true. Altcoin needs bitcoin for mass adoption.Bitcoin help buying Altcoin and has given a way to Altcoins.
Bitcoin was there when there were no Altcoin but Altcoins can not survive without bitcoin.